Mayor Koch on the Mets

“You have to give it your BEST shot, and then you come out No. 1 — the Mets!”

So said Mayor Edward I. Koch in 1986 at the end of the closing credits to An Amazin’ Era, the club’s 25th Anniversary video.

No, I don’t know what he meant exactly. But it sounds sage, doesn’t it? And after he said it, the Mets went out and won the World Series, didn’t they?

If that’s how they were doin’, then Mayor Koch made as much sense as he possibly could. Hizzoner wasn’t any kind of a sports fan. He was good for about an inning on Opening Day and maybe the seventh game of a Fall Classic when one materialized on his watch.

Yet it’s hard to believe anybody ever rooted New York home any harder.

5 comments to Mayor Koch on the Mets

Nice tribute…he made himself one of the greatest tombstone you’ll ever see and had it put up while he was alive.

Stumbled on this pic yesterday…apparently, just after his 300th win at YS (I was there), during the Mets pennant race with St. Louis, Steingrabber tried to upstage the Mets by grabbing The Franchise. I didn’t remember that.

I’m guessing the Yanks simply put in a waiver claim, which resulted in the shell-gaming White Sox owner Reinsdorf pulling Seaver back in order to discuss a trade proposal with Steingrabber. I’m further guessing that the White Sox-NYY trade talks of Sept. 1985 fell through, because Seaver began 1986 with Chicago before being dealt to Boston for Steve ‘Psycho’ Lyons in mid-season.

Seaver did eventually join Steingrabber’s payroll as a broadcaster, not a pitcher…that, in itself, was too much to bear.

It all worked for the best…even though the Mets lost Tom to the White Sox, they won a championship soon after…if they had kept Tom, who knows…they may not have won…doubt they could have won more than one. Seaver would not have fit in on that wild team.

I’ve also wondered, during idle moments: if only Seaver had rounded himself into pitching shape, and found himself fit to be activated during his 1987 comeback. Imagine Seaver holding down a roster spot that was otherwise held, by say, RHPs Don Schulze or John Mitchell. Seaver could’ve stepped in after Darling sprained his thumb in September, and willed the Mets into the postseason, and provided a fighter’s chance for the WS Trophy to remain in Flushing….and maybe, just maybe, counseled Gooden to make better life choices….woulda, shoulda, coulda. Sigh.

Always had a prop bet on how many innings Mayor Koch would last at Mets Opening Day … always bet the under and won!

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